James Gunn’s Superman Gets Serious: Major Changes to Tone After Test Screenings!

by

Reports suggest that adjustments have been made to James Gunn’s ‘Superman‘, following test screenings, in order to tone down the more humorous aspects.

Initially, whispers about issues with the movie emerged as far back as December, as Jeff Sneider of THR and others suggested potential problems brewing on set.

It’s likely that Gunn approached his Superman movie in a manner similar to how he handled Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films. I think I may have mentioned this before, but the humor might work well with Guardians because mainstream audiences were not as acquainted with them (and we were and found “dance off, bro” Star-Lord cringey). However, mainstream audiences are quite familiar with Superman, and so are DC fans who are more accustomed to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight and Zack Snyder’s DCEU.

Additionally, it’s been suggested that during his work on Superman, Gunn incorporated jabs intended as political humor. This can be seen in elements like Lex’s army of mutant troll monkeys, the storyline involving fake news, and even jokes at the expense of the Snyder Cut.

Major Changes for Superman After Test Screenings: Humor Cut, Editor Replaced, Scenes Reshot

According to a fresh report from World of Reel, the latest testing has triggered significant alterations, such as reducing the amount of humor and revising specific scenes.

According to the report, Gunn, who shares the role of co-head and producer for DCU with Peter Safran, along with WBD CEO David Zaslav, are carefully examining every detail of Superman to prevent another failure in the franchise.

Since 2018’s “Aquaman”, every DC film at the box office has underperformed, such as “The Flash” which Gunn had touted as the greatest comic book movie yet. Interestingly, Zaslav showed it to Tom Cruise who commended it. However, I was told that the initial cut of “The Flash” was significantly better than what eventually made it to theaters.

Regarding the movie “Superman”, it’s been under close examination, and according to “World of Reel”, approximately 25 minutes of what was likely considered lighter or humorous material were taken out. Additionally, they rearranged crucial scenes, and during the reshoots, they added a few minor new scenes.

Beyond that, it’s mentioned that an editor was dismissed, causing a revamp of the movie’s plotline. Furthermore, a fresh composer was recruited at the last minute to improve the film’s soundtrack, as the original guitar melody from Williams’ score in the first preview was criticized.

An insider for the site described it as a “slight course correction.”

This week, there’s an additional test screening planned, and they’re optimistic that the recent alterations will improve things significantly. Their faith in the upcoming Superman movie has grown, as earlier reports suggested it must be a major success.

Additionally, it appears to me that the modifications are clearly visible in the newly unveiled comprehensive trailer, and I must say it exceeds my expectations, outshining the initial teaser trailer.

Reported changes to Superman:

  • Roughly 25 minutes of footage removed
  • Comedic scenes cut or toned down
  • Key sequences restructured
  • New editor and composer brought in
  • Another test screening scheduled this week

Superman release info

Superman gets released on July 11, 2025.

David Corenswet plays the role of Superman/Clark Kent, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult stepping into the shoes of Lex Luthor. The ensemble includes Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Neva Howell.

Read More

2025-05-29 03:01